~ Simple Images

Acadia (Bar Harbor, Maine) Photography Workshop

Last weekend I participated a wonderful three day photography workshop in Bar Harbor, Maine. Part of the Mentor Series and hosted by Worldwide Photgography Treks, it brought together a group of beginner to advanced photographers and two professional photography “mentors” in one of America’s most beautiful natural landscapes encompassing Bar Harbor, Maine and Acadia National Park. Our mentors, Layne Kennedy ( http://www.laynekennedy.com/) and Daniel J. Cox ( http://www.naturalexposures.com/), both extensively published (photographic) artists, infused the group with their enthusiasm for the art of capturing images, providing insight on both technique and composition.

Reminding us all that life doesn’t always unfold in the way we plan and hope, but often in ways that teach and help us grow, the weather did not quite cooperate with the established agenda. Landscapes often were seen only through guazey curtains of haze, islands were shrouded in foggy cloaks of invisibility. Nature thus called on us to rise to the challenge and to find inspired images in unanticipated contexts and in environments we originally might have viewed as undesirable.

One of the funniest moments of the weekend occurred during an early evening shoot on the streets of Bar Harbor. Seeing our gaggle of photographers, bristling with professional level cameras, long lenses and tripods, townsfolk and tourists alike assumed we were there to shoot an arriving celebrity or dignitary. They came up to us to ask who we were anticipating and some refused to believe we were just a bunch of aspiring photographers practicing shooting at dusk. Some hung around for a bit to see if we were lying. All great fun.

I did manage to capture a few images which I’ve added to my portfolios on my website (www.jlreizianphotography.com). If you have the time or inclination, wander over there and take a peek. They’re primarily in “Sea and Water”, “Cityscapes” and there’s one in “Nature and Landscapes.” You’ll find them on the last pages of the portfolios.